RCR & Scholarly Activity In-Person Training
Introduction
Why is UK mandating RCR training?
“As a public institution of higher education, public confidence in the responsible conduct of research (RCR) by faculty, staff and students is critical. We must promote and maintain a culture that is supported by an infrastructure that educates and assists in the ethical conduct of research.”
Lisa Cassis PhD, UK Vice President for Research (VPR)
UK has had research misconduct cases in the past few years due to a failure of some researchers to follow Responsible Conduct of Research.
This effects:
- The reputation of UK and its researchers;
- Researchers/research personnel affiliated with the wrongdoer;
- Personnel managing the process for research misconduct;
- Researchers doing honest work that could have received the research funding used;
- General public if faulty data is used in publications is relied upon by the medical community, product development, etc.
Areas of RCR Training at UK
- Mentoring
- Conflict of Interest
- Peer Review
- Research Misconduct
- Data Management
- Safe Work Environments
- Reproducibility
What Will The Rest of the Day Look Like?
- Observe 3 case studies
- Discuss in groups
- Summarize key points
Must have minimum 1 hour of contact together
Case Study One
Peer Review
In this session, learners will consider the implication of unethical conduct in the peer review process.
Through this case, learners will:
- learn about ethical conduct during the peer-review process
- learn how to manage conflicts of interest and bias related to the peer-review process
Discussion
- Sum up the general problem presented in the scenario.
- Did Lisa act appropriately in telling Bill to publish quickly?
- Did Lisa act appropriately in delaying the review? In giving a critical and demanding review of the paper?
- Is there anything Lisa should have done differently when she received the submitted paper?
- Did Bill act unethically in this scenario? What should Bill have done when given the encouragement to publish?
Additional Resources
- ORI Peer-review resources: https://ori.hhs.gov/peer-review-0
- ORI Conflict of interest resources: https://ori.hhs.gov/conflicts-interest-and-commitment
- ORI Introduction to RCR: Chapter 10. Peer Review: https://ori.hhs.gov/content/chapter-10-peer-review-Preserving-confidentiality
Case Study Two
Research Misconduct
In this session, learners will explore research misconduct.
Through this case, learners will:
- learn about research misconduct
- learn about available resources regarding misconduct at the university
Discussion
- Sum up the general problem presented in the scenario.
- What should the graduate student (GS) do in this situation?
- What are the possible outcomes?
- Are the possible benefits of remaining silent greater than the potential fallout if someone else figures out that research misconduct occurred?
- If you were in this situation, who would you talk to for advice or report your suspicions?
Additional Resources
- UK’s Research Misconduct and Reporting webpage: https://www.research.uky.edu/research-misconduct
- UK’s Responsible Conduct of Research & Scholarly Activity webpage: https://www.research.uky.edu/responsible-conduct-research
- DHHS ORI’s Introduction to the Responsible Conduct of Research: https://ori.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/2018-04/rcrintro.pdf
- UK’s Good Research Practice Resource Center: https://www.research.uky.edu/good-research-practice-resource-center
- CITI RCR Course information: https://www.research.uky.edu/responsible-conduct-research/getting-started
- UK ORI’s webpage: https://www.research.uky.edu/office-research-integrity
Case Study Three
Mentoring
In this session, learners will evaluate ethical considerations in relation to the mentor-mentee relationship.
Through this case, learners will:
- learn about ethical conduct in relation to the mentor-mentee relationship
- learn how to navigate difficult situations in the mentor-mentee relationship
- determine appropriate roles for each party in the mentor-mentee relationship
Discussion
- Sum up the general problem presented in the scenario.
- What would you do if you were Shannon?
- What actions could Shannon take to make the best of her mentoring relationship with Dr. Gonzales?
- What are the responsibilities of both mentors and trainees in a mentoring relationship? What are some important topics a mentee should discuss with their mentor before beginning their work?
- What could Dr. Gonzales do differently in his approach to mentorship?
Additional Resources
- UK Academic Ombud: https://www.uky.edu/ombud/
- ORI mentoring resources: https://ori.hhs.gov/mentorship
- UK Faculty mentoring resources: https://www.uky.edu/ofa/faculty-mentoring-resources
- UK’s The Graduate School Office of Postdoctoral affairs Conflict Resolution webpage: https://www.uky.edu/postdoc/conflict-resolution
Feedback
Reflect
- What were your big takeaways from the training today?
- What lingering questions do you still have regarding the content?
- How might you improve this training specifically for ISC faculty in the future?
Case Studies
Post-session RCR Case Study Survey - https://uky.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_79CaFBt2jglwtMi
Thank you!!
Questions? tkfr222@uky.edu